• Energy Research
• Closed Access close
• Restricted close
• Open Source close
• US close
• IT close
• CA close
• FR close

Previous findings implicate opioid receptors in the expression of the conditioned rewarding and aversive properties of ethanol. We have recently reported that the conditioned rewarding effect of ethanol is mediated by opioid receptors in the ventral tegmental area (VTA). We attempted to determine whether VTA opioid receptors also mediate the expression of the conditioned aversive properties of ethanol. However, the magnitude of conditioned place aversion (CPA) was not consistent with our previous findings and prevented us from making definitive conclusions. We hypothesized that the handling required to make intracranial infusions in mice alters the expression of CPA, but not conditioned place preference (CPP). Therefore, non-operated animals underwent a Pavlovian conditioning procedure for either ethanol CPA or CPP. Just before testing, half of the animals were held by the scruff of the neck to mimic intracranial infusion handling. Animals conditioned for CPA did not express CPA if they were handled. However, animals conditioned for CPP exhibited robust CPP, regardless of handling. These findings provide additional evidence that the conditioned rewarding and aversive effects of ethanol are mediated by different neural mechanisms.

To assess the sustainability of waste management scenario with energy recovery, it is necessary to carry out an adequate analysis of all influential criteria. The main problem in the analysis is to determine the indicators that clearly and fully sublimate the most important influential factors. The model for the assessment of the sustainability of waste treatment scenarios based on multi-criteria analysis AHP (analytic hierarchy process) method is developed. The model predicts an increase in the number of indicators, if it found that a selected number of indicators are not sufficient to distinguish between scenarios and new criterion for the selection of indicators: the relevance of the indicator for certain waste treatment. The model is verified in the case study the city of Nis. Four scenarios were selected and examined: business as usual scenario (landfilling of waste) and the other are created as scenarios with energy recovery and recourses preserving: composting organic waste with recycling inorganic waste, incineration of waste and anaerobic digestion of waste. The assessment of the sustainability of waste treatment scenarios was made in several steps. It is found that the best sustainable scenario is composting of organic and recycling of inorganic waste.

Crop cultivation in greenhouses under semi-arid climatic conditions is subject to various stresses, in particular during the winter season at night, when the interior air is poorly controlled, leading to prolonged periods of low temperature. The aim is then to evaluate and control the heat exchanges of the enclosure in order to prevent low indoor air temperatures and reduce the thermal load of the greenhouse. The objectives of this study are to investigate the convective and radiative heat exchanges at the cover in order to establish new correlations for the convective heat transfer coefficients in semi arid regions. The climatic parameters were measured inside and outside a closed empty glasshouse without crop, for three different nights during the winter season in the semi-arid land of Algeria. A physical model for analysing the convective heat transfers was implemented, and new correlations were established, parameterised, calibrated and validated thoroughly. A significant difference was observed between the correlations obtained by this study and the models obtained for other greenhouse designs under different climatic conditions. Results show that the convection mode along the inside wall of the cover is free turbulent. Conversely, the convection mode along the outside greenhouse cover remains forced turbulent. A consistent performance of the correlations was observed, both in the calibration and validation stages.

This article is categorized under: Energy Research & Innovation > Science and Materials Energy Research & Innovation > Economics and Policy Energy Research & Innovation > Systems and Infrastructure Energy Research & Innovation > Climate and Environment

A co-culture of Clostridium beijerinckii and Geobacter metallireducens with AH2QDS produced hydrogen from lignocellulosic hydrolysates (biomass of Miscanthus prepared by hydrothermal treatment with dilute acids). This co-culture system enhanced hydrogen production from lignocellulosic hydrolysates by improving substrate utilization and diminishing acetate accumulation, despite the presence of fermentation inhibitors in the hydrolysates. The improvements were greater for xylose-rich hydrolysates. The increase in maximum cumulative hydrogen production for hydrolysates with glucose:xylose mass ratios of 1:0.2, 1:1 and 1:10 g/g was 0%, 22% and 11%, respectively. Alternative extracellular electron shuttles (EES), including indigo dye, juglone, lawsone, fulvic acids and humic acids, were able to substitute for AH2QDS, improving hydrogen production in the co-culture system using xylose as model substrate. Increased utilization of xylose-rich hydrolysates and substitution of alternative EES make the co-culture with EES system a more attractive strategy for industrial biohydrogen production.

Abstract A LOWTRAN 5 based flux model has been developed to calculate downwelling infrared irradiance from a clear night atmosphere onto a horizontal or tilted surface. This model is based on the transmittance/radiance code LOWTRAN 5 which can calculate the radiance from the atmosphere for user defined paths, atmospheric conditions and spectral intervals. Included in the model is the addition of a zeroth order scattering approximation to the LOWTRAN 5 code, methods of integrating LOWTRAN 5 calculated radiances over the sky hemisphere to obtain the downwelling flux, and a method for calculating the radiance from the atmosphere at wavenumbers outside the range of LOWTRAN 5. The accuracy of this model is verified by comparison of calculations based on radiosonde data with surface flux measurements taken concurrent with radiosonde ascent. Agreement is excellent for both horizontal and tilted surfaces with the deviation between measurements and calculations of the flux on a horizontal surface being less than 4 per cent.

In this study the effect of in vivo ethanol consumption on cyclic AMP (cAMP) and [D-Ala2,D-Leu5]enkephalin (DADLE) inhibition of forskolin-stimulated cAMP production was examined in mouse striatum. Effects of ethanol on striatal delta-opioid receptor (DOR) density and mRNA were also examined. Mice had unlimited access to 7% (v/v) ethanol alone or water for 1 or 7 days and were then sacrificed and striatum removed for analysis. There was no difference in basal cAMP formation between water and ethanol-treated mouse striatum following 7 day treatment, and a small, but statistically significant increase in basal cAMP in the ethanol group following 1 day treatment. Both 1 day and 7 day ethanol treatment did not significantly alter the percentage increase in cAMP following treatment with 10 microM forskolin. There was a significant effect of ethanol treatment on the maximum inhibitory effect of DADLE on forskolin-stimulated cAMP formation following both 1 and 7 day ethanol treatment. The DADLE IC50 was unaffected by ethanol treatment. Saturation binding studies ([3H]Deltorphin II) indicated no effect of ethanol on Bmax or Kd in striatum. Similarly, no difference between water and ethanol-treated was observed for DOR mRNA in striatum. These data indicate that ethanol consumption can alter opioid regulation of cAMP formation. However, this effect is not related to changes in any delta-opioid receptor parameters that were examined.

SummaryTwo photoselective and three photoluminescent greenhouse plastic films were studied for their effects on the spectral distribution of solar radiation and their influence on the growth of cherry and peach trees in the field and in laboratory tests.The two photoselective films modified the ratio of the photon fluence rate in the red to that in the far-red (R/FR), while the three photoluminescent films increased both the blue and red solar radiation by moving energy from the ultra-violet range to the blue and red wavelength range.The photoselective film that reduced the R/FR ratio, from 1.14 (open-field) to 0.93, enhanced shoot growth in peach (46.1 cm) and cherry trees (68.7 cm) compared to trees grown in the open-field (13.5 cm and 39.3 cm for peach and cherry trees, respectively). Trees grown under the red-emitting photoluminescent film showed increases in shoot length of 27.2 cm and 55.8 cm for peach and cherry trees, respectively; while plants grown under the blue-emitting photoluminescent film s...